Regional labour force trends and NSW electorates (July 2022)

This publication uses old electorate boundaries and is obsolete

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An interactive map overlays ABS labour force regional data with NSW electoral boundaries to provide visual insight into what may be happening in electorates. Typically, the regions for which ABS labour force statistics are published do not correlate to electoral boundaries.

Interactive charts present five-year trends of different labour force indicators for NSW and the regions (get data back to 1999).

There are 28 labour force regions in NSW: 15 in Greater Sydney and 13 in Regional NSW. Regional data should be interpreted with care; please see the notes below.

Impact of COVID-19: The ABS recommends that analysis of regional labour force estimates should be based on 12-month averages. These averages make it difficult to account for unusual, sudden or extreme changes in the labour market due to the impact of events such as COVID-19. The ABS observes that this should be taken into account before drawing conclusions from regional labour force estimates.

In the wake of what the ABS has described as a series of unprecedented interventions in the labour market, measures such as the unemployment rate may no longer accurately estimate the labour market. For example, people in receipt of the JobSeeker payment may not be classified as unemployed if they did not look for work.

Interactive map (latest regional data)

Map no longer available


Interactive charts (five-year regional trends)

Source Editor The four interactive charts allow you to view five-year trends for a labour force
region, as well as Regional NSW, Greater Sydney or NSW. Use the drop-down menu to select the area of your interest.


The unemployment rate is a measure of the number of unemployed persons expressed as a proportion of the labour force (the total number of employed and unemployed persons).

The youth unemployment rate is a measure of the number of unemployed youth (persons aged 15 to 24) expressed as a proportion of the youth labour force (the total number of employed and unemployed youth).

Cumulative employment growth is a measure of the growth in total employed persons over a period of time. Employed persons are those aged 15 years and over who performed an hour of work or more in a specific week, or who had a job but were not at work in that specific week.

The participation rate is a measure of the proportion of the working age population (persons aged 15 and over) who are actively engaged in the labour market, either by working or looking for work.

Labour force definitions

Employed

All persons aged 15 years and over who, during the week of the Labour Force Survey:

  • worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind in a job or business, or on a farm; or
  • worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm; or
  • were employees who had a job but were not at work; or
  • were employees or own account workers, who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work
Labour force

The total number of employed and unemployed persons

Participation rate

The labour force expressed as a percentage of the population in the same age group

Unemployed

Persons aged 15 years and over who were not employed during the week of the Labour Force Survey, and:

  • had actively looked for full time or part time work at any time in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week and were available for work in the reference week; or
  • were waiting to start a new job within four weeks from the end of the reference week and could have started in the reference week if the job had been available then

Unemployment rate

The number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force

Youth unemployment rate

The number of unemployed persons aged 15 to 24 expressed as a percentage of the labour force aged 15 to 24

Notes

  • Source: ABS, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed Electronic Delivery, Cat. No. 6291.0.55.001, 2016
  • The data presented here applies to an area's resident labour force (i.e. those persons who reside in an area) as opposed to its workforce i.e. those persons who work in an area.
  • The ABS Labour Force Survey covers about 0.32% of the Australian population aged 15 years or over. Its primary purpose is to provide labour force estimates for the nation and, secondarily, for each State and Territory. Due to the small sample size involved, regional data should therefore be interpreted with caution
  • While labour force data is normally subject to seasonal adjustment, this only applies to National and State level data. The regional data presented here is original, non-seasonally adjusted data; for comparative purposes, the State level data presented here is also original, non-seasonally adjusted data. See the ABS for original and seasonally adjusted NSW data
  • Using the recommended ABS methodology for regional labour force indicators, all the data presented are 12-month averages. For example, the January 2016 figure is an average of the original data for the 12 months February 2015 to January 2016 inclusive
  • Youth unemployment is a complex issue. It is worth noting therefore that the youth unemployment rate only paints part of the picture, generally being held to represent an overestimate of youth unemployment. See further this Research Service publication: NSW regional labour force trends by labour force indicator

Publication details

Title: Regional labour force trends and NSW electorates (July 2022)
Author: Daniel Montoya
Publication number:  Data Brief no. 2022-02

The NSW Parliamentary Research Service provides impartial research, data and analysis services for members of the NSW Parliament.

Advice on legislation or legal policy issues contained on this webpage is provided for use in parliamentary debate and for related parliamentary purposes. This webpage is not professional legal opinion.

Published: 25 August 2022

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